The Starfleet Misadventures of Esmeralda Shirin
by Vulcan Wolf
Summary: AU, but it works into the storyline. Bones gets a second shot at marital bliss with the charismatic title character who is entirely mine , and Jim gets a taste of Southern hospitality. Bones/Esmeralda and Jim/OC, hints of Esmeralda/Spock.
1. Chapter 1

_**Yet another extended drabble. This is a mutli-chaptered thingy that's been festering on my HD. I've been sick with a cold lately and the only thing keeping me sane is my fanfiction. Updating old stories and posting new ones, here's the latest addition to my repertoire of fanfic. The Starfleet Misadventures of Esmeralda Shirin here for your viewing pleasure. Please don't hate me, I know it's not a masterpiece. **_

_**Still nothing belongs to me, I'm still broke, don't sue. I sure wish the boys were mine, though. :D**_

* * *

Chapter One

Esmeralda Shirin looked out the windshield of her dad's old '97 Mustang and wondered if she was actually lost. The car had been a graduation gift when she graduated out of Starfleet Medical Academy at the top of her class. She'd worked one two-year tour of duty with the USS Yorktown under Christopher Pike, two years at the Embassy, one year on Alpha Centauri, and one in Chicago when she decided to try out civilian life. She'd been transferred to Savannah Central Hospital from Chicago Unitarian, and while finding Savannah was easy, finding her new residence was not. Considering the hospital she'd be working at was no more than seven minutes away, it shouldn't have been this hard to find the damn house. She'd bought the place sight-unseen and for whatever reason, she couldn't find it. Frustrated, she pulled over on a quiet residential street and folded her arms over the steering-wheel, wishing she could find this place. The house was on Rio Road, she had to be getting close. Esmeralda looked at the directions again and sighed.

"79 Rio Road, Savannah, Georgia. How hard can it be on a street that's not even a mile long?" She huffed and saw the house two down from where she was parked. She squinted, "7…5. 77…79." She looked over, "I'll be damned, that was lucky." She put the car in park and took the key out of the ignition, getting out to look at the house. It looked just like the pictures the realtor had sent her, and she went up to the front door. Under the welcome mat, she found the house-key and let herself inside.

"Wow." She liked the house, having never seen it before, "This…I could get used to this." She moved in the boxes she had in her car and called the moving company that was holding the rest of her stuff. They promised to send out the truck that day and Esmeralda called Savannah Central Hospital to let them know she'd made it to town and would be moving into her house over the weekend. The Chief of Staff, who sounded like the kind of man Esmeralda would like working for, told her not to worry about it, they'd take her when they got her. So, she started moving in, putting things where she wanted them to go. The movers showed up and she told them where to put everything. After all of her furniture was in place, she paid the movers and finished the boxes she'd brought with her. At sunset, she went down to the deep-water dock and watched the sky change colors. The fireflies came out en masse and the crickets and cicadas struck up their evening chorus as it grew dark, and Esmeralda had to smile. For some reason, this was just perfect. When the moon came up, she went back to the house and got ready for bed.

She spent the weekend moving into her new house, wondering where her neighbors were. She met her neighbors on her right and across the street, but her left-hand neighbor seemed to be out of town. Her other neighbors assured her that he was just out of town at a conference. What kind of conference? A psychology conference was taking place in Chicago. So her neighbor was a doctor? Interesting, but not too surprising. Esmeralda thought she might have run into him if she'd stuck around back in Chicago.

* * *

On Monday, she showed up early at the hospital and met David McCoy, the Chief of Staff of SCH. He was just the kind of man she'd imagined him to be, and they got along right away. He didn't seem to mind at all that she was, technically by default of her education and previous positions, a city girl. Savannah was smaller than a lot of places she'd been before, but she kind of liked the small-town feel.

The house to her left remained empty for a week, and Esmeralda had no idea what kind of person her neighbor was and just hoped he wasn't a jerk. She had the bad luck of attracting the bastards when it came to guys, especially guys in the medical profession. Although she had to admit, she had met her share of officers who were just as bad. She wasn't a swooning nurse, she didn't worship the ground they walked on, she wasn't going to kiss their ass, and no, she didn't think they were God's gift to women. Excuse me, I have a job to do.

One thing she did was buy a dog. One of her neighbors had a cousin who bred Irishh Red and White Setters, and one day after her shift, she drove out to a small farm a few miles outside of town to see the dogs. She settled on a spunky year-old female the breeder had creatively named Iraws, a play on the breed-name pronounced like the flower Irish. For her sake and the dog's, Esmeralda changed the dog's name to Irish. Irish had a fondness for water and if she wasn't launching off the end of the floating dock, she was paddling around in the pool in the backyard. Esmeralda vigilantly took Irish for runs in the morning before work and played with her in the backyard when she got home while dinner was cooking, and she usually fixed dinner in the outdoor kitchen for ease. This drew her neighbors over and she always had company for dinner. The kids played around in the pool while the adults sat around and chatted over drinks. She told her neighbors that the kids were welcome to the dock and the pool any time, that made her a lot of friends, and it made her feel part of the neighborhood dynamic.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

When Leonard McCoy got home after a week in Chicago, he was exhausted and in desperate need of something to drink. It was about four or five in the afternoon, it was an absolutely beautiful day, his flights had actually gotten in early, but he just couldn't enjoy being home. As he got his stuff out of his car, he looked over and noticed that the house to his right was occupied. Had somebody moved in while he was out of town? Figured it would be while he was gone. Shaking his head, he went inside and dumped his stuff. Opening the back door, he rummaged for that drink. A hedgerow separated his yard from his neighbor's and through this barrier he heard the sound of chatter, music, and children shrieking and laughing. Oh, great. Fully intending to tell whoever was making that noise to pipe down, please, Leonard headed for the hedgerow. There was a gap big enough to step through and he peeked through this. What he saw stunned him. It looked like a neighborhood soiree was in full swing, the kids were in the pool, the adults were thoroughly enjoying themselves with drinks in hand. Some of them were dancing. Leonard wanted to feel bitter, he just felt lonely. He heard a dog barking and watched, startled and amused, as a Red and White Setter went flying into the pool to join the kids. So his new neighbor had a dog? Hmm. Did his new neighbor have a family, too, or was this just their mutual neighbors making the best of someone's willing hospitality? He could smell hotdogs and hamburgers and his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten in a few hours. Leonard watched unseen for several minutes before making up his mind. Going inside, he changed into blue-jeans and a tee-shirt. Slipping through the gap in the hedgerow, he let himself breathe at last.

"Hey! Leo, there you are!"

"Oh, hey, David." He greeted one of his neighbors with a tired smile, "I heard the ruckus and came over to see what the big to-do was about. What's the party for?"

"Oh this? This is nothin' special."

"Really?"

"Sure! Esmeralda loves the kids and let's 'em come over while she's at work. And her dog's a sweetheart."

"What's her name?"

"Esmeralda Shirin. She's a transplant from Manhattan." David apparently approved, which was saying something for a man married sixteen years with four kids between the ages of four months and ten years.

"Which one is she?"

"Hard to miss her, bro." David pointed across the pool, "There she is." Leonard wasn't sure what he'd been expecting from a girl with a name like Esmeralda Shirin, it sure wasn't what he got. The girl coming out of the house with a tray wore a navy blue halter bikini with white polka-dots and a multicolor tye-dyed sarong. Her skin was the color of rich caramel, her hair fell to the small of her back in a long, black snaking braid. Leonard imagined it was longer unbound, and wavy. She didn't look at him, but he could see her eyes. They were a deep, beautiful amber full of light and laughter. Leonard watched, utterly enthralled, as David's wife Mariah intercepted his new neighbor and took the tray from her.

"David!" Mariah called across the yard, "Go help Kyle!"

"Duty calls."

"Go on, David." Leonard smiled, "I can handle myself."

"How was Chicago, by the way?"

"I'm glad to be home, leave it at that."

"Was it that bad?" David looked sympathetic. Leonard just frowned. Yeah, it had been that bad. David clapped him on the shoulder and moved off to help Kyle Darbin man the grill. Leonard mingled with his neighbors, all the time watching their hostess, and concerning himself with the practical problem of getting his next drink. Leslie Groves, Kyle's wife, hooked him up with a smile and a wink. He forced himself to be civil.

"Fancy seein' you around these parts, Leo. Where've you been hidin'?"

"I've been busy, Les." He just rolled his eyes, "Now, what can you tell me about Esmeralda?"

"Well, she's a city-girl from Manhattan. She's been all over the country, there's even rumor she worked Alpha Centauri and the Embassies in San Francisco."

"She's Starfleet?" Most civilians didn't work those places without handsome pay for their services. Esmeralda looked like the kind of person who would do it just because she wanted to, not because it would pay her well. Where had she gone to school in San Francisco anyway? Hmm.

"She's a doctor, Leo." Leslie's smile was wickedly calculating. Leonard shook his head.

"Forget it." He muttered, looking for an escape from Leslie. It wasn't that she was a bad person, she just happened to be his ex sister-in-law and he really didn't need to be around her just right now.

"Aw, Leo. You're no fun!" Leslie pouted.

"Leslie! Leave the poor man alone, for god's sake!" Leonard was rescued by his neighbor and hostess, who shooed Leslie away to go pester her husband.

"Leslie's had a bit more to drink tonight." He watched her go off, hips swaying to the music, "Huh."

"So, what brings you?"

"I heard the party and invited myself. Hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all. How was Chicago?"

"Nothing I regret leaving behind." He grimaced, "Makes me question why I thought psychology was a good idea in the first place."

"Because it reassures you that you are in fact sane and the rest of the world is , with few exceptions, stark raving mad." Esmeralda smiled, "Am I right?"

"Dead on, sweetheart."

"I generally reserve that opinion for the opposite sex."

"Oh?"

"I tend to attract the less refined gentlemen of society." She gave him a sidelong look, "And most of them have the misfortune to make small fortunes saving lives." If it hadn't been true for half of the people Leonard worked with on a daily basis, he would have been insulted. But he didn't think Esmeralda meant to include him in her broad generalization, or any of their neighbors. He snickered and nursed his drink. After the long, excruciating flights and the torture in Chicago, it was actually kind of nice to come home to a backyard get-together with his neighbors and associates. They made an unspoken agreement to not speak of their professional lives, and Leonard was perfectly okay with that. There were other things to talk about. Like how she thought Savannah compared to Manhattan, and which one did she like more? A Manhattanite by birth, a girl of high society, gone to school in San Francisco, graduated top of her class, she absolutely loved Savannah. It was an entirely new experience for her, and she was thriving.

* * *

David Crossley kept an eye on his reclusive neighbor and had a moment of panic when Leslie Darbin waylaid him. Married twelve years and she still chased after Leonard McCoy, like it didn't matter that she was married to Kyle. David wasn't the only one who was bothered by it, and they were all relieved that Leonard had a firm way of saying no thank you to Leslie's advances. He was single and, apparently, quite happy that way. Or, had been happy that way before laying eyes on Esmeralda Shirin. David had noticed it right away and wondered how long it would take everyone else. He might never admit it, likely wouldn't under duress, but Leonard McCoy was a goner. When Leonard and Esmeralda hooked up by themselves, Esmeralda chasing off Leslie, David crossed his fingers. It was obvious they got along well, and it was probably the first time in ten months David had seen Leonard laugh or smile. Jocelyn Fredericks had really fucked him up, it had taken six months just to put the pieces back together, six months before he could work a full day-shift without spending half of it hiding in a dark room and sobbing like a child.

"He looks happy, David." Mariah came up beside him, "Look at him."

"As much as he hated it, I think Chicago was good for him. It got him away from Josie."

"And Lord knows he needed it. I keep expecting her to come back and do something awful to him."

"Hope she doesn't. Not now." David watched Leonard and Esmeralda together. They spent the evening together, sitting together when everyone congregated to eat, dancing when someone turned the music up, chatting on such a broad range of subjects David couldn't keep track of them. He and Mariah were two of the last people to leave the party, having stayed behind to help Esmeralda clean up and do dishes. Once the last load of dishes had been put through the recycler, they said goodnight and went home. Esmeralda waved from the front door, and David looked over his shoulder and smiled. Leonard stood behind Esmeralda, waiting for her to come back inside. He would pray for Leonard and Esmeralda, he decided.


	3. Chapter 3

**Massive thanks to Jackiez32, who read and reviewed this! Thanks for being the first, here's that update you wanted! Keep reading and clicking, it makes me happy!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Once the last guests had gone home, Esmeralda returned to her back yard. Irish lay under one of the tables, exhausted from playing with the kids for so long, Esmeralda just pointed at the house.

"Irish, go inside." She watched Irish get up and go inside, tail drooping.

"That is one tired dog."

"You won't hear her complaining." Esmeralda smiled and blew out the candles still lit on the tables. The fire-flies were out, along with the crickets and cicadas, and she smiled. Overhead, the stars filled the full-moon sky.

"Esmeralda?"

"Hmm?" She turned to Leonard McCoy, her previously unknown neighbor and the last of her guests who just didn't seem to be in a great hurry to go home. He held out one hand in silent invitation. He was asking her to dance. Esmeralda smiled and took the outstretched hand and let him pull her into a close dance. They danced in the dark, just the two of them, letting the words and rhythm of the song guide them. Esmeralda listened to the words and realized how ironic it was that the two of them were dancing to this song at the end of the night. She smiled and closed her eyes as Leonard pulled her closer, if that was possible. When the song came to an end, she was almost disappointed. Another song came on and they danced again, just the two of them, closer than last time.

"So, how do you like Savannah?" He asked in a low drawl that sent lovely chills down her spine. Esmeralda looked up.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think I'm going to like it here. The people are friendly and the views are nice."

"The views are nice?" Leonard chuckled, brown eyes dancing with amusement. Esmeralda knew she was flirting, Leonard knew she was flirting, and neither one cared one way or the other.

"I like what I see, Doctor McCoy." She leaned back, held up by two warm hands folded under her shoulder-blades. Leonard's smile did things, his kiss did more. She wasn't expecting it, at all, and quite literally almost went to her knees. He tasted like the raspberry-chocolate cake they'd eaten for dessert, and mint mojitos, and whiskey. Esmeralda was pretty sure the ground beneath her feet moved, until she realized they were still dancing and the ground itself remained stationary. Leonard wasn't quite drunk, but something told Esmeralda his inhibitions had been brought way low. That was fine.

"I should warn you, sweetheart." He murmured, holding closer than ever, "I don't usually put out on the first date."

"I don't think one kiss counts as putting out, and I don't think a backyard party counts as a first date." She smiled, "I think you're safe." He smiled back and instead of answering to that, he kissed her again. Then something occurred to her. He hadn't actually said "I don't put out on the first date," he'd said "I don't _usually_ put out on the first date." Did that…mean he wanted to? Esmeralda didn't think he was the one-night-stand type, and she knew for a fact she wasn't one herself. It couldn't be a one-night affair and never spoken of again. She pulled away and coaxed him into the house. He followed as though pulled by a string. Once inside, they found their way to the bedroom. With one hand on the doorknob, she looked at Leonard, meeting a dark, soulful gaze, "This can't be a one-night affair, we both know that."

"I don't want it to be, darlin'. The ex wouldn't let me touch her for a year before the split." Leonard looked sad, "I've gotta move on."

"Let me help." Esmeralda opened her bedroom door, backing into it, "But, I won't be a rebound-girl."

"You don't have to be, I'm over Josie, I just gotta stop lettin' that damn sister of hers get under my skin like she does."

"For what it's worth, I don't get along with Leslie. Kyle's a saint, I love him, I think he's a wonderful man, and he deserves better than what he's got." She pulled Leonard into the bedroom and he kicked the door shut with one foot. The moon lit her bedroom with silver, she opened the windows to let in the fresh air and smiled as the chorus of crickets and cicadas filtered in. Within seconds, she had his tee-shirt off and flicked open the waistband of his jeans. He untied the sarong she'd worn all evening, letting it fall in a heap of multicolored silk, hooking the waistband of her swimsuit bottoms as she made short work of the zip-fly. Whatever clothes remained landed in the same heap on the floor, and further thoughts of Leslie Groves or her sister were not a point of great interest. In fact, at one point, Esmeralda was fairly certain coherent thought was a foregone conclusion. She gave her focus to the man holding her, showing her something she had forgotten existed, who made her feel beautiful when she wasn't wearing make-up or nice clothes.

* * *

Later, as Leonard slept it off, Esmeralda couldn't bring herself to regret anything she'd done tonight, and decided she never would. She smiled as his chest rose and fell beneath her head, and closed her eyes to listen to his heartbeat. In her heart, she knew he would be gone by morning, and she was okay with that. Sleeping close, she didn't bat an eyelash until dawn, when Irish jumped onto the bed with her leash between her teeth. Esmeralda reached for the empty pillow and sighed.

"Huh. Well, Irish, you missed it. Shoot me if it turns into a one-night affair." She rolled over and got out of bed, wincing, "Ow. Guess we'll have to go easy this morning, huh?" Irish just wagged her tail and waited patiently by the door while Esmeralda got dressed for their morning run. She passed the Crossleys, Kyle Darbin, and Alex Holdon respectively both outbound and homeward, and chuckled. They all waved, of course, and made sure she was coming in to work. Well, duh? It was Monday, so yes, she would be in to the hospital. At her usual time, they were free to reassure Chief McCoy of that little tidbit if they wished. As she reached her house, she saw Leonard pulling out and stopped, folding her hands behind her back and telling Irish to sit.

"Hey."

"Sorry I didn't leave a note this morning." He looked well-rested, happy. Esmeralda just smiled and leaned against the car, shaking her head.

"I knew you'd leave before sunrise. You'd have to. Good thing you can sneak back to your house through my backyard, or we'd have god knows how many people on us like vultures."

"David and Mariah because I moved on…finally." He blushed, "Thanks for last night, Esmeralda, for everything."

"You're welcome over any time you want some company, it's just me and Irish."

"I'll remember that."

"Hey, have a good day at work, okay? I know you just got back yesterday and all that."

"I'll be alright. It's my coworkers I'm worried about." The eye-roll said everything. Esmeralda leaned into the car and took a good-morning kiss before waving as he took off for work. She'd never found out which hospital he worked at, never asked and had never been told. That was okay, and probably better for both of them if he didn't work at Savannah Central. Going inside, Esmeralda fed Irish, took a shower, and got dressed for the day. She'd get breakfast in the doctor's lounge.

Grabbing her keys and her backpack, Esmeralda set off for the hospital, leaving Irish with a gaggle of the neighborhood kids who arrived to hang out. When she got there, she noticed that the parking-slot to the right of hers was full this morning. It had been empty for a week. Whoever parked next to her was apparently back, or had been replaced. One of the two, she was counting on the former. Locking her car, she headed into the hospital and stopped by the locker room to dump her stuff. As she changed into scrubs, Mariah Crossley came tearing into the locker-room in a high fit.

"Esme!"

"A little early for a code, isn't it, Mariah?"

"What's into McCoy this morning?"

"Uh?" She looked up sharply, "Somethin' wrong with the chief?"

"No, you idiot! His son! What's wrong with Leonard McCoy?" Mariah couldn't seem to decide if she was happy or beyond furious.

"He works here?"

"Didn't you know that?"

"No!" Uh-oh.

"I thought you knew that."

"Mariah, I think I would have said something! Or asked! What's wrong with him?"

"He's in a good mood. He's never in a good mood, not this early and _definitely_ not after a business-trip."

"Oh." She pulled the scrub-shirt over her head and grabbed her lab-coat and beeper, relieved that she obviously didn't look as panicked as she had felt a moment ago. She and Leonard had made an agreement that what had happened last night would not be a one-night affair, under any circumstances at all, and she suspected she could be civil with him should they come into contact during the course of the day, as they were bound to do eventually. As they left the locker-room, she noticed that Mariah wouldn't stop staring at her and actually fell back to walk behind her once. She rolled her eyes and turned around, "Mariah, what are you doing?"

"Boy, I thought somethin' was wrong with Leo, but you…you look good! You look really good!"

"Mariah, I'm wearing scrubs and a lab-coat."

"No, no, it's in your body-language. You feel good this morning, don't you?"

"I'm…happy, if that's anybody's business." She smiled, "Thanks for staying after the party last night to help us clean up, too, by the way. That was really nice of you."

"Oh no problem!" Mariah rolled her eyes, "Isn't that what neighbors are for?"

"I left the Stengler kids playing in the back yard with Irish when I left, so…yeah."

"You're the new girl and already you're the golden child." Mariah was teasing, and Esmeralda blushed.

"Man, I'm starving. Let's hit up the lounge before we hit the charts."

"Sounds good. Annalese brought coffee cake and cinnamon rolls for everybody, too."

"Oh, God bless that woman!" Esmeralda's stomach growled at the very thought of Annalese McCoy's home-cooking for breakfast. Every few days, every two days precisely, the Chief's wife would bring something for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner for the late-shifters. Those were the days no body went home until after midnight. When Mama McCoy cooked, you did not leave the hospital for anything short of a family emergency, which had a tendency to come to you anyway so it wasn't really worth it to leave.

"Looks like I'll be taking a triple today."

"I think we all will. Which gives you a chance to find Leo again. How did you not know he worked here?"

"I never asked, you never told me, and it never occurred to me that there might just be a Doctor McCoy Junior."

"Hah!" Mariah snickered. When they got to the doctor's lounge, it was already buzzing. Word had spread quickly, mostly among their small cliquish group of doctors.

"Ooh, it smells good in here!" Esmeralda stuck her head around the corner to find Alex, David, Kyle, Leonard and Erica helping themselves. She arched an eyebrow and looked at Mariah, "Talk about somebody who makes the scrubs look good. Geeze."

"Oh yeah. You can see why Leslie's stalking him."

"I'd rather not think about that this morning, Mariah, thank you."

"Welcome to the club, girlfriend." Mariah patted her on the shoulder. Esmeralda went around the corner, slipped around behind Leonard, and studied the offerings. She settled with a cup of coffee and went back around, very calmly reaching over and stealing a piece of what Leonard had on his plate.

"Hey! You get your own!"

"You've got enough for two people." She scolded, "I'll pay you back at lunch."

"Did anybody else just see that?"

"And nobody gives a damn." David chuckled, "Good morning, Esme."

"Oh don't look so surprised to see me, David. You know I show up early on the days Mama McCoy cooks, and today's my lucky day." She waved a dismissive hand at him, pulling off a piece of the cinnamon roll she'd stolen from Leonard. She looked at her neighbor and smiled, "See, Leonard, if you'd been home last week, you would know by now that your mother, God love that woman, has already declared me the skinniest girl in this hospital who isn't a patient and has apparently made it her special goal to make sure I don't wither away into dust."

"Surprise surprise."

"Precisely. So, I pay you back at lunch, and your mother stays happy that I stopped skipping meals when I got here." As if summoned by name, the door opened and Annalese McCoy came in bearing a heavy dish full of something that smelled wonderful.

"Speaking of which." David snickered into his coffee.

"Esmeralda, there you are!" Annalese saw her there and just beamed as she set down her burden, "Sweetheart, you are still too skinny!"

"Told ya." Esmeralda whispered conspiratorially, "I came for breakfast, Mama, and I'm stayin' for the rest of it."

"Good girl. Now come here." Annalese beckoned her over and handed her a bowl full of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins with a spoon, "Now you eat that and not another word out of you, hear?"

"Yes, ma'am." She added a splash of milk and leaned against the crowded counter to eat. Moving down, she pushed aside stacks of dishes and sat down on the counter, kicking her heels against the cabinets beneath. She watched the others congregate and smiled as Leonard greeted his mother the way a son should. When she had scraped the bowl clean, she tossed the bowl and spoon into the sink and leaned back, smiling. Leonard came over and she adjusted to let him stand in front of her, taking the glass he handed her.

"Mom loves you."

"Told ya. She's convinced I'm too skinny for my own good."

"Sounds like Mom, to worry about a pretty girl." He smiled and leaned back a little. She set down her glass and reached over, stealing another bite from his plate, and this time he let her, pulling off a piece of what she'd taken for himself.

"So much for keeping it quiet." She picked up her glass again and just watched. Their immediate company wouldn't blab or gossip, but if it got beyond them, things would take off like wildfire. Finally, it was 0900 hours and time to get busy. This morning it was coffee and cinnamon rolls for Leonard. As she left the lounge with Mariah and Erica, she looked over her shoulder, "You boys leave him alone!"

"We'll be good, Esme, we promise."

"Suure they will." Esmeralda just rolled her eyes and left Leonard to the mercies of the boys. Once they were out of earshot, Mariah and Erica pounced on her.

"What was that?"

"I'll tell you this, it ain't a one-nighter."

"Esme!"

"Oh, hush. Give it a few months and I can drop it on Leslie and her sister."

"That's true. That would be sweet revenge." Mariah seemed to like that idea. She had to put up with relentless teasing for the rest of the morning, and she knew Leonard had to put up with it from David and the boys.

* * *

Around noon, Esmeralda escaped to the lounge, snagged a bowl of red beans and rice with sausage, and found an empty exam-room to hide in so she could eat in peace. She wasn't alone very long, however. The door was coded open and Leonard crept in. She smiled and patted the floor beside her.

"Was your morning as crazy as mine was?"

"If by crazy do you mean the girls wouldn't leave me alone except when we were within earshot of Leslie? Yeah, it was crazy. How was yours?"

"Ugh." The body-language said it all and they ate in companionable silence. After clearing their plates, so to speak, they moved to the bed and took five minutes to rest. When they got the same page at the same time, Esmeralda wanted to think it was just coincidence. She sighed and heaved off the bed, brushed off her scrubs and did something with her hair. Leonard, ever the gentleman, held open the door for her and let her go out first. Tossing their dishes into the nearest recycler, she looked at the pager again.

"You want this one?" She looked at Leonard.

"You can take it. I've got a stack of paperwork yea high waiting for me."

"Welcome home, huh?"

"Tsh." He made a dismissive sound and they parted ways. Esmeralda found her next patient down in Holding Room Six. Just before she went in, Leonard appeared. She smiled.

"So much for paperwork?"

"That can wait. This is more fun. What's going on?"

"Eighteen-year-old Human male, Caucasian, possible abuse situation."

"Based on what evidence?"

"Multiple lacerations, severe bruising, mild memory loss from possible head-trauma, possible concussion therein, and…three or four broken ribs."

"Sounds like it could be abuse or the kid just did somethin' real stupid." Leonard read the chart over her shoulder, "Well, onward ho."

"Brace yourself, the young ones are the cockiest."

"Don't I know it?" He waved her in first and she stepped into the room to find her patient laying on the bio-bed, eyes closed. He was stripped to the waist and they could see the damage. Venturing closer, Esmeralda noticed that he was in restraints.

"Leonard?"

"Hmm?"

"Find a Social Worker, I don't think this is from an accident." She studied bruising on his arms and neck, "I haven't seen something like this since…New York."

"Can you handle him if he wakes up?"

"Yeah, this is something I can handle. Go on." She waved Leonard out, oddly touched that he didn't want to leave her alone with an unstable patient. Once the door had closed, Esmeralda turned to her patient and dug out her earpiece, tucking it into her ear and turning it on, "This is Doctor Esmeralda Shirin, MO, MD, CMO. Patient is Human Male, Caucasian, approximately eighteen standard years of age. Vitals and Stats: Height: Six foot standard. Weight: 165 pounds standard. Pulse and pressures abnormal for trauma. Patient is unresponsive, under sedation for personal safety. Patient Name: Kirk, James T. Age: Stated above as 18." She paused and looked at the name again. Kirk? She knew a Kirk! Scrolling through the information at her disposal, she found the demographic data. Name, age, date-of-birth, place of residence, next of kin, Federation Identification Number, education, employment, affiliation if any. There was a marker under the affiliation heading and she tapped it open. She raised an eyebrow, "Next of kin stated: Frank Lawson, Stepfather; Winona Kirk, Mother. Biological Father: George C. Kirk, Admiral. Afiliation: Starfleet; Rank: Rear Admiral." This was Admiral Kirk's son? What on earth was he doing in Savannah, Georgia? She finished taking notes and dictating, and waited for Leonard to come back. While she waited, Kirk regained consciousness.

**_

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So there it is! Chapter 3! I hope this fills in a little more about Esmeralda, her story's going to come in bits and pieces as the story progresses, so just be patient. Next up: Jim! Yay for troubled souls!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Alrighty, in this installment we get to meet Jim Kirk. This is sort of where the story takes on an AU-ish air. We get Jim, Bones, and Esmeralda. The good doctors get a little protective of their patient. I have the utmost respect for social-workers, a friend of mine is a social-worker, but I know they can be just as awful as anyone else in the world. Don't worry, all's well that ends well.

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 4_**

Jim Kirk knew a hospital when he found himself inside one, it was just the way it smelled and felt, it didn't matter where the hospital was, they were all the same. This one was no different from any other hospital he'd landed in during his short lifetime, with one exception, no one here would know who James T. Kirk was or care, this was not Iowa. He was in Savannah, Georgia, visiting Frank's relatives. Why he was visiting his stepfather's relatives, Jim didn't know and was really wishing he'd stayed home. He'd gotten into an argument with one of his "cousins" about…something.

Jim opened his eyes to find himself in a quiet, empty room, held fast by restraints so he wouldn't pose a danger to himself or anyone else. He could move his head, which hurt, but he turned his head both ways and tried to get a feel for what he was up against. Standing at the foot of the bed was a pretty young female doctor, she was Human, but she looked nice. Her skin was a lot darker than anyone Jim had seen in a long time, but it reminded him of chocolate. She was writing on a padd, probably taking notes. As if sensing that he was awake, she looked up and smiled.

"Oh, good, you're awake. I'd ask how you feel, but I won't." She came to the head of the bed, "It's pretty obvious you're not feeling all that good right now."

"Are you sure you're a doctor?'

"Pretty sure, why?"

"Most of the doctors I've met ask the stupidest questions and then treat me like a child."

"I know doctors like that, I've worked with a lot of them, and I always, always promised myself I would never treat a patient like that if it was the last goddamned thing I did." She somehow managed to take his pulse, frowning, "Better but not normal."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Doctor Shirin." She looked up and her expression changed a little, "My name is Esmeralda."

"Where am I?"

"You're in Savannah Central Hospital, you're safe here from the people who hurt you."

"How did you know?"

"I doubt you tried to strangle yourself. The handprint's too big to be yours." Jim noticed something about Doctor Shirin. She didn't touch him. Most doctors were all over him like leeches, poking, prodding, investigating, violating his personal space and making him feel very vulnerable. Doctor Shirin was hands-off and kind, and smart. It helped that she was pretty. He watched her move around, tried not to flinch when she leaned over to look at one of the bruises more closely. Suddenly, she flicked open the latches on the restraints.

"What are you doing?"

"Sit up, Kirk."

"Huh?"

"You can sit up if you want to. You're not a danger to me or yourself, or likely anyone else in this hospital, and keeping you strapped down isn't going to make you feel any safer or less vulnerable."

"Oh. T-thanks." He tried to sit up, but his head was spinning.

"Stay down then." She caught him and eased him back onto the bed, "So, what's a kid from Iowa doing all the way out in Savannah?"

"Visiting relatives."

"But they're not family, are they?"

"They're my stepdad's relatives, and they all hate me."

"And that's where these bruises came from?" She frowned, "You came in with a concussion, you must have taken a real beating."

"I wish someone would throw 'em all in jail. Then Mom and me, we'd be safe."

"It's weird, if you ask me."

"What is?"

"An admiral's son has to suffer in silence at the hands of his step-family with no one to listen or care about him. I assume your mom has no idea?"

"Nope." He turned his head away, "She's somewhere out there, running away from her responsibilities, just like she has since I was real little."

"Have you considered running away?"

"To where?"

"San Francisco would be perfectly safe for you." Doctor Shirin smiled and came to the bed, finally touching him, "Your father would see to it that no one ever hurt you again."

"Do you know my dad?"

"I used to work for him." She blushed, "Your father is a wonderful human being, Jim, and you're just like him. He's always been a friend of mine."

"I wish I could see more of him, but Mom and Frank don't like me going out there."

"I don't see why either of them would care. He's your biological father, he has a right to see his son unless some court-ruling says otherwise, and far as I know, you're free to go and do what you like now that you're eighteen." Doctor Shirin knew what she was talking about, and Jim realized something. He _could_ go and do whatever he wanted. He was eighteen now, and no longer a minor. If he wanted to ditch Savannah for Riverside or San Francisco, he could go right ahead.

"You didn't call a social worker, did you?"

"I did, it's the rules we have to follow. Tell them whatever you want and not a jot more. I'll make sure you don't get pushed around by anyone."

"I knew there was a reason you were different! You're Starfleet, aren't you?" Jim finally sat up. Doctor Shirin smiled and sat on the foot of the bed, something no doctor had ever done.

"Yep. I served one tour of duty on the Yorktown with your godfather."

"You know Captain Pike?"

"You bet I know Captain Pike. By the time I was done, I was SMO of the Yorktown and on my way to CMO, would have been if I'd stuck around."

"Why'd you leave?" Who turned down _that_ kind of promotion?

"I wanted to work a broader range. There's almost no privacy on a starship, Jim, it's the closest I've ever been to a situation like Savannah Central. But I loved it, the closeness, the sense of community, the knowledge that you can trust the people around you to look after you and return favors when called for it."

"Wow."

"I worked the Embassy for a long time, too, I really enjoyed that."

"How long have you been a doctor?"

"Not including four years at SMA? Two years on the Yorktown with Pike, two years at the Embassy, one on Alpha Centauri, and one in Chicago."

"And now you're here." Jim smiled, "Do you like it here?"

"I've only been here a week, but…well, you won't hear me complaining." She smiled and took his hands in hers and tested flexibility. The door opened a few minutes and Jim got one look at the doctor coming in and turned to Doctor Shirin.

"He have anything to do with it?"

"Shh!" That was it, she turned three shades of red. Yeup, that would be the ticket. Jim didn't blame her one bit, either.

"Oh, good, he's conscious."

"And out of the restraints, you'll notice. Jim, this is Doctor McCoy. He's my partner."

"Pleasure." Jim shook hands with the man and smiled. The Social Worker had some questions for Jim, and she wanted no one else in the room.

"You can't stay here, you must leave." The Social Worker snapped. Jim knew he looked as panicked as he felt, as he silently begged them not to leave him here.

"We are Mr. Kirk's primary caregivers and his physicians. Whatever you say to our patient will be said in our presence." Doctor Shirin gave the Social Worker a withering glare and that was the end of that argument. For some reason, Jim felt safe with the doctors in the room, there was just something about them that made him comfortable. They weren't like other doctors, that was part of it. After two hours, Jim was nearly in tears and Doctor Shirin kicked the Social Worker out.

"If you've reduced the boy to tears, you're not doing your job right. You're supposed to help him, not make him feel like it's his fault. Now go on and finish writing up your reports, which Doctor McCoy and I will be signing off on." With that, the horrible woman was gone. The door closed, shutting off Jim's sob from the outside world. In a heartbeat, Doctor Shirin was back at the bedside.

"I knew there was a reason I hated Social Workers. Jesus, who did that woman think she was anyway? Dad would flip if he knew we had one of her terrorizing the patients!" Doctor McCoy was livid, and for some reason that made Jim feel good. Doctor Shirin said nothing as she hugged Jim, just holding on and giving him something he hadn't asked for but needed.

"It's always my fault! Even if I didn't do anything!" He stuttered, "Does the world hate me?"

"No, Jim! Oh, God no! No, the world does not hate you." Doctor Shirin promised, stroking the back of his neck, and rocking. It should have felt stupid, but it was comforting and nice that someone actually cared.

"Are you gonna be alright, kid?" Doctor McCoy asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I just have to get out of Savannah, or find a safe place to stay for a few days."

"Could he stay with you, Esmeralda?"

"I've got an extra room, and Irish would love the company." Doctor Shirin pulled back and looked at Jim, "Jim?"

"Are you sure you want me?"

"Until I can get you to San Francisco, you're staying with me. It's safest that way."

"I'll talk to Erica and see if Thomas can't do something about a restraining order." Doctor McCoy left the room and went to find someone else. Jim sniffled and looked at Doctor Shirin. She just smiled and used the sleeve of her lab-coat to dry his tears away.

"You'll be alright, Jim, don't you worry a thing."

"I don't think anybody's ever done something so nice for me before." He tried to smile but couldn't.

"All you can do is survive, Jim. And there will be people along the way who are willing to help." Doctor Shirin promised. When he left the hospital an hour later, he had Doctor Shirin's spare house-key in his pocket and fare for the transport they called for him, and a warning to beware Irish, Doctor Shirin's overly-friendly Irish Setter. Word spread quickly in the little neighborhood community of Rio Road, and no sooner had he made himself at home, which included watching a cluster of neighborhood kids splash around in Doctor Shirin's backyard pool, than he was approached by several friendly neighbors who asked if he needed anything. Having so many people worried about him was a little weird, but that's how it worked down here and Jim wasted the entire afternoon life-guarding the pool and keeping one ear turned to the floating-dock at the end of the property where the older kids played. He kind of liked Doctor Shirin's neighbors, he liked the atmosphere. It was late when Doctor Shirin got home, and Jim was pleased to announce that he had respectfully wasted the afternoon enjoying himself and meeting the neighbors. That made Doctor Shirin happy and she told him that everything had been worked out at the hospital and tomorrow they would have a restraining order against Frank Lawson with extension to the rest of the family. Jim slept that night with no nightmares, and the only thing that troubled his sleep was Irish coming to keep him company.

* * *

Esmeralda knew she could leave Jim Kirk at home with Irish and the neighborhood kids and he would fend for himself, and she started leaving her car for him and driving in with Leonard or one of the others so that Jim could explore Savannah on his own. He seemed perfectly content to spend his days poolside, or running the neighborhood with Irish. She sent word to San Francisco to let Admiral Kirk know that his son had fallen under her guardianship, and he was in Savannah until further notice. That came as good news, Kirk said a change of scenery would be good for Jim, and it was. As the months waned into late summer, Jim took the initiative and did a number of things. He found a job to make an income, he bought his own car, an old '97 Chevrolet pickup painted Kelly green, and applied to local colleges. Esmeralda pushed Starfleet Academy, but Jim wasn't that interested, and she didn't push harder.

In the end, Jim was accepted at Armstrong Atlantic State University, which was quite literally spitting distance from the house, a seven-minute commute by bike, thirty minutes on foot, and studied computer sciences and engineering. Instead of paying student-housing fees, he just commuted from Doctor Shirin's place and it wasn't unusual for him to come home for lunch, or more commonly he'd head up Abercorn Street and come to the hospital. That usually happened on the days the Chief of Staff's wife cooked for everybody, which was something the doctors all looked forward to. He planned his schedule so he could eat lunch with Doctor Shirin and Doctor McCoy, and their co-workers who were the parents to the children he looked after on the weekends and during the evenings.

* * *

It was the first time in his life where Jim felt like he belonged somewhere, and he had to admit Savannah was no Riverside. He had no trouble from the Lawsons, thanks to that restraining order, and found a lot to like about the small-town feel of Savannah. It didn't take long for Jim to learn that Doctor Groves was the kind of woman you stayed far away from. Her sister was Doctor McCoy's ex, that alone was enough to make Jim hate the woman and anyone associated with her, and stayed well clear of her when he was visiting. She tried to hit on him a few times, which just rang sour for a number of reasons. For one thing, her sister had broken Doctor McCoy's heart, and another thing: she was married! And yet, Doctor Darbin seemed either accustomed or resigned to his wife's wandering ways, Jim just felt sorry for him. After six months of watching Doctor Groves break her wedding-vows, Jim took action. One of his instructors was roughly Doctor Darbin's age, never married, and rightfully pretty. If she'd been a little younger, Jim would happily have gone after her for a shot at the glory. Instead, Jim set her up on a date with Doctor Darbin and kept his fingers crossed. He knew Doctor Darbin was a good man, and knew he deserved better than Doctor Groves.


	5. Chapter 5

**_We get a peek into Esmeralda's Starfleet past, brought to you by Esmeralda and Spock. A touch of Bones/Esmeralda angst, please don't hate me! With that said, enjoy the fifth installment of The Starfleet Misadventures of Esmeralda Shirin._**

* * *

Chapter 5

Esmeralda was surprised when Kyle Darbin showed up at one of the neighborhood parties alone.

"Kyle!" She caught up with him, "Where's Leslie?"

"She ran off with some schmuck from Charleston."

"I don't know if I should tell you I'm sorry or not." Esmeralda looked at her friend, she really wasn't sorry for him. Kyle shook his head with an easy smile she hadn't seen in ages.

"Nah, don't feel too sorry for me, Esmeralda."

"Is everything okay, Kyle? Do you need anything?"

"Nope, I got it."

"Already?" She'd suspected Kyle had a girlfriend for a few months now, but she couldn't be absolutely certain. Kyle just pointed between the other guests to a table currently occupied by Leonard, the Crossleys, Jim Kirk, and a woman with curly strawberry-blonde hair, a peppering of freckles, sea-glass green eyes, and a slight gap between her front teeth. She wore glasses, but they were stylish and sleek. Given her first appearance, she looked almost geeky, but Esmeralda absolutely loved the woman.

"Oh, Kyle! She's wonderful!"

"Come on, I've been dying for you to meet her. Jim told me he had to beg her to come tonight, he promised she would be welcome."

"Jim knows her?"

"Mm-hmm. I owe him big, remind me to thank him someday." Kyle led her over to the table, "Sybil, Sybil, this is Doctor Shirin." The woman got to her feet and held out one hand, her smile was friendly and warm.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Doctor Shirin, the boys won't stop talking about you."

"Who talks about me?" Esmeralda frowned. Leonard and the Crossleys snickered.

"I'm guilty, Esmeralda." Kyle looked appropriately contrite, "This is Sybil Blakeley, she's a computer engineer by trade. She teaches over at AASU."

"Oh! Oh, wait a minute!" Esmeralda smiled, "You're Jim's teacher! I should have known it was you!"

"He's one of my best students."

"Damn smart boy, our Jim." Esmeralda chuckled and hugged Sybil, "You'll excuse me for welcoming you to the family, Sybil. We've been waiting a long time for somebody like you."

"That's what I keep hearing. I was only too happy to help."

"Here, Esmeralda, you can take my seat, I've gotta go keep the Birch kids from drowning each other." Jim got up and surrendered his seat, "I told you to trust me."

"See me doubt you ever again, Jim. Thank you." Esmeralda kissed him on the cheek and sent him off to lifeguard the pool. She sat down, shaking her head, "Does anybody remember the boy that came to us a year ago?"

"Who doesn't?" David shook his head, "Jim has come a long way from that day. I mean, look what he's done!"

"Every now and then, I still see that broken boy, but not as much as I used to. Savannah's been good to Jim Kirk." Esmeralda smiled wistfully and took Leonard's drink from him , "One of these days, he'll be able to call himself a true Son of Savannah."

"Someday soon, I think." Leonard chuckled and pulled her close on the bench. Suddenly, she heard Jim yell and looked up to see him bolt through the crowd in a fit of excitement.

"What was that about?"

"Not the faintest." She kept one eye on the pool, "He was in a hurry, wasn't he?"

"Ya _think_?" Leonard snorted and stole his drink back. A few minutes later, Jim came back and Esmeralda coughed.

"Oh my god! You said sooner indeed!" She couldn't believe it.

"I'll give Jim one thing. He's got good taste." David smiled and Esmeralda got a good look at the girl on Jim's arm. She was probably his age, maybe a year younger, and a born-and-bred daughter of the Old South. Jim was practically glowing. Beside her, Leonard choked.

"That's Rory Spencer!"

"Doctor Spencer's girl?" Esmeralda frowned, "When and how would he have met her?"

"Rory spends as much time at the hospital as he does. It's only logical that they would have met on a consecutive visit and struck up a friendship thusly." David said so blithely it was Esmeralda's turn to choke.

"Jesus, David, you sound like Spock when you say that!" she coughed.

"Who's Spock?"

"He was a Science Officer during my tour with the Yorktown. We worked different divisions, he was in Science and I was Medical, but we spent a lot of time together."

"I never thought I was your first boyfriend, I sure didn't think my predecessor would be a human computer." Leonard made a face.

"Don't be jealous, Leo. That was years ago." Mariah scolded.

"We met at the Academy, he was a year ahead of me, and then we were assigned to the Yorktown together when I graduated." Esmeralda frowned into her drink, "We stayed in touch while I was at the Embassy, his father was one of our contacts, but I haven't heard from him since I decided to leave Starfleet for civilian practice."

"He sounds wonderful."

"It was definitely an experience. Vulcans are interesting people if you spend time getting to know them." She shrugged, "You just have to be patient."

"Then you must have the patience of a saint." Leonard said bitterly. Esmeralda frowned at him.

"Actually, we didn't even get along that well until I saved his life during a first-contact mission that went wrong. We lost half of our landing-party, more than half of the landing-party, and I hid for three days in a fox-hole with Spock until the natives found us and took us captive. That was two weeks of sheer hell, Spock kept me from loosing my mind and I kept him alive long enough for Captain Pike to put together a search-party and rescue us."

"That sounds awful."

"That's normal when you're in Starfleet." She set her glass down, "After we got back to the Yorktown, I took over Spock's care while he was in Sickbay and afterwards he told me he owed me a life-debt. We became good friends after that."

"I'd say it was more than just friends."

"You know, Lon, I never thought of you as the particularly jealous type." Esmeralda got up, "You knew I was Starfleet, that was one of the first things I told you." Turning, she went into the house, through the house, out her front door, and sat down on the end of her sidewalk. She hadn't forgotten Spock, it just wasn't something she thought about every single day. And she really hadn't heard from him in two years, she doubted he remembered her at all. Frustrated with herself, Esmeralda got up and ran until she reached the cut-through to the neighborhood park. When she got there, she sat down on the swings and just cried. Why didn't Leonard trust her? One mention of an ex-boyfriend and all bets were off? Had Jocelyn really fucked him up so badly he couldn't trust women anymore? And she had to work with him! She had to be around him every day for hours on end! As it grew later, she could hear people calling her name, but no one ever thought to check the park for her, they kept walking past it. Her watch read 2245 hours when she heard soft, catlike footfall behind her, muffled by the sand when he left the pavement. A warm, familiar hand landed on her shoulder and Esmeralda sobbed again. He came around to stand in front of her and dropped to his knees, taking her hands in his.

"Lash'a, do not grieve on my account."

"Oh, god, Spock!" She fell into his arms, "I didn't think you'd even remember my name!"

"How could I forget you? What has caused your sadness, beloved?" He just held her, keeping her warm. Esmeralda pressed one hand to his face, her fingertips brushing his psi-points, and showed him why she was in such grief. It was all a terrible misunderstanding, but there was nothing she could really do to change his mind. She was afraid of losing everything she already had, and she wasn't sure she could handle that. She loved her job, she loved her friends, and she was about to lose it because one man didn't understand.

"I don't know what to do, Spock! I don't want to hurt him, but I won't let him tell me I'm not allowed to have other friends!"

"Your heart is still with Starfleet, Lash'a. Why did you leave?"

"Because I thought it was a good idea, it would give me more experience." She tucked her head under his chin, "All I got was experience I didn't want. Have I ruined him, Spock?"

"The Human heart is a fragile thing, you know that, but it is also resilient. I do not think he will hold you in contempt for very long." Spock got up, helping her stand, "I will take you home." Esmeralda didn't want to go home, she wanted to run away. But Spock led her back to her house, where Leonard, in a bloody panic when a preliminary search had failed to turn her up, was rallying Thomas Stengler to mount an official missing-persons search with the police. That should have proven something, but Esmeralda couldn't forget the look in his eyes when he realized he was competing with a Vulcan. Which wasn't true at all. Esmeralda still loved Spock, she always would, but…well, she suspected her love for Spock was different from her love for Leonard.

_**And if he cannot understand that, then he does not deserve you, Lash'a. **_Spock soothed in her mind. He of course left her well before anyone ever saw her, but Esmeralda knew finding him again would be easy.

**_

* * *

Alright, there it is! Chapter 6 is next, coming very soon! Thanks for staying with me, Jackiez32, you're a dear thing._**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Much Bones/Esmeralda angst! I'm sorry, I had a hard time writing this and reading it makes me sad. *Sniff* Misunderstandings are awful things. Read on with a heavy heart!_**

* * *

Chapter 6

Leonard McCoy was scouring a map of Savannah and the surrounding area, trying desperately to figure out how far Esmeralda Shirin could have gone in her state. She had no shoes, and her clothes were so flimsy she'd be lucky to survive a night in the open air. Not that the night was cold, per say, but that was besides the point. It was only when it got really late and people started going home that a problem was realized. By then it had been three hours and Esmeralda hadn't surfaced. They'd been looking for who knew how long and there were still search-parties out looking for her as he marked off everywhere they'd already looked, wishing he could look up and she would just be there, walking down the street like nothing had ever happened. Hardly daring to hope, Leonard did look up, not expecting to see anything, and just about died of shock when he saw Esmeralda, several hours missing, walking down the street towards her house and his. Her steps were slow, deliberate, but sure and steady.

"Oh my god." He watched, stunned, as she passed through a whispering crowd of concerned neighbors as they parted for her like the Red Sea before Moses, and almost forgot how to breathe when she got to him. She didn't look angry, just very sad. It hurt because he was responsible for all of it. Esmeralda just smiled at him, but it wasn't her usual smile, as she vanished into her house. He heard the door lock and felt something in his chest give way. Oh no. Jim and Rory escaped after saying goodnight, they would stay at Jim's apartment on Abercorn Street tonight. Everyone else drifted away, Thomas and Erica stayed until he told them to go home. He didn't need babysitting or pity. Going into his own house, he watched Esmeralda's house until he saw her lights go off. Sneaking into his backyard, he listened. She came out of the house and he peeked through the hedgerow to see what she was doing. The wives had cleaned up while he rallied search-parties and got in touch with the police, so there was nothing for her to do. Leonard slipped through the hedgerow into Esmeralda's yard, knowing he wasn't welcome after the fiasco earlier, and wondered if she'd let him stay long enough to apologize and promise to leave her alone. She sat at a table by herself, listening to some sad ballad on low volume. He just watched, wishing he could tell her, show her how sorry he was, how much he wanted everything just the way it had been before tonight.

"You have a hell of a lot of nerve coming back here after the shit you pulled tonight, Doctor McCoy." Not even his first name, he was in deep trouble. Leonard raked one hand through his hair and sighed.

"I'm…sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what to tell you, I don't want to repeat myself, but sorry seems to be all that's comin' out."

"You know, he came after me? He found me in the park, where nobody else even thought to look." The bitter disdain in her voice hurt, but he didn't try to back off, "I have no idea what he was doing in Savannah, let alone how he even found me when the rest of you walked right past the damn place half a dozen times!"

"Esmeralda…"

"I thought you were better than that, Leonard. I thought you were a stronger man than to crumble at the first sign of nonexistent competition." She looked at him and that weight in his chest came back, "Did Jocelyn Fredericks really fuck you up so badly that the very _idea_ of my ex-boyfriend sends you off the deep end? What, I'm not allowed to have a decent, caring boyfriend?"

"He's Vulcan!" Wrong thing to say. Open mouth, insert foot, and swallow. Damn!

"He's half-Vulcan, he's also half-Human. He was right, you don't deserve me." She got up, went into her house, and locked the door. Leonard spent the rest of the night sitting on the floating-dock and wondering how he could ever get her back.

* * *

When he showed up at work the next morning looking like the hell he felt, his father called him into his office and handed Leonard a padd.

"What do you know about that?"

"What is it?"

"A resignation letter, from Doctor Shirin." It was rare his father got mad enough to show it, he was mad. Leonard forced himself to read the letter. Esmeralda was leaving as soon as his father accepted her resignation, from the letter it looked like she was heading back to San Francisco to take a position in Starfleet Medical.

"You didn't…"

"That's her two-weeks notice, son, I haven't finalized her resignation. What happened between you two?"

"We had a fight last night over an ex-boyfriend of hers."

"Tyson?"

"No, this was a boyfriend from Starfleet. She went to the Academy with him for a couple years and served on the Yorktown with him."

"Did this boyfriend show up last night or something?"

"I never saw him, but I got the feeling he stuck around town. A Vulcan in Savannah's gonna be real hard to miss, especially one in a duty-uniform."

"He was Vulcan?"

"Half-Vulcan, I was corrected by Esmeralda last night. He sounds like a wonderful person, for being what he is and all that. Makes me wonder why Esmeralda left him to settle for a piece of shit like Jarred Tyson and put up with an idiot like me." Leonard handed the padd back to his father, "Please don't finalize Esmeralda's resignation, give me a chance to try and win her back. I screwed up with Josie, I can't lose Esmeralda because of my ex-wife."

"She's not going to welcome you back with open arms, Len."

"I'm not expecting her to, I just want her to stay." He felt awful, "Even if she works in a different hospital, just…"

"Take a few minutes and pull yourself together, Len, you look awful." His father pulled him to the couch and he fell backwards. Yeah he looked awful, he felt like shit.

* * *

For a month, Esmeralda and Leonard didn't speak a civil word to each other and it wasn't unusual for her to brush right past him without a word or a glance, leaving a palpable chill in her wake. Nobody could talk to her because she made it clear she didn't have any interest in their "interference". The emotional distance took it's toll on Leonard and he finally had a breakdown. It took three people to hold him down, help came in the fairest form any of them had ever seen. From out of nowhere, literally, a tall gentleman in Starfleet blue emerged, stepped into the fray, and quietly dropped the hysterical doctor into a faint, they later learned it was a technique called a to'tsu'k'hy. What happened next had witnesses talking about it well after everything was said and done. As Leonard dropped into a faint, the officer caught him and eased his fall, lowering him to the ground with bizarre gentleness. Then he touched certain points on Leonard's face with one hand and closed his eyes.

"What is he _doing_?"

"Shh! Don't touch them!"

"Should we call Doctor McCoy?"

"No. Don't call anyone." So, no one moved. After what seemed like an eternity, the officer pulled back and looked up at them.

"Is there a room?"

"In here." David Crossley showed the way to an empty room, "Do you need anything else?"

"Where is Doctor Shirin?"

"Up on Maternity, I think."

"Thank you. He should wake shortly, I will be gone by then."

"Do you mind giving us your name, sir?"

"I am Commander Spock." His expression was serious and intent. _This _was Esmeralda's ex-boyfriend? Looks were exchanged as the Vulcan went in search of Esmeralda.

"Uh oh."

"Cool it, Kyle." David frowned, folding his arms as they watched the figure in blue vanish around a corner, "I don't think he came back to coax Esmeralda back to Starfleet."

"What's going to keep her from following him _back_?"

"If anybody can talk sense into that girl, _he _can." David just hoped things would get put to rights soon, he was getting sick and tired of Esmeralda and Leonard not talking to each other. Esmeralda was being stubborn and even as she said she wanted to hear Leonard apologize, she didn't give him the time of day let alone a decent chance _to _apologize. It was taking it's toll on all of them, Leonard just happened to be the first actual casualty. This would be...interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

**_In which Esmeralda gets sense talked into her, Jarred Tyson gets his ass handed to him, and things get set to rights. And we discover why Spock was in Savannah._**

* * *

Chapter 7

Esmeralda was surprised when Spock suddenly showed up in Maternity, and asked for a minute of her time.

"Spock! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. Do you have a moment?"

"Of course!" She smiled and finished signing off on a chart, handing it to the nurse, "What can I do for you?"

"Is there somewhere we can speak in private, there is something I feel I must share with you."

"Oh, sure. Come on." She wondered what was so important he needed privacy. An empty exam-room served the purpose, she locked it behind them and looked at Spock, "I thought you were in San Francisco."

"I have stayed here in Savannah, watching you. Esmeralda, _what _are you doing?"

"I'm doing my job. Why?"

"Sit down, and do not argue with me." He waved to the bed and she shrugged, sitting on it.

"You're in a bad mood. Seven year itch?"

"Sadness and disappointment."

"Trouble in San Francisco?"

"Trouble in Savannah. Be quiet and _watch_. Listen." Now, Vulcans couldn't lie, they didn't like evading, but Esmeralda didn't know what she was supposed to make of what she _saw _when Spock mind-melded with her. It only took a few flashes to realize these weren't _his _memories.

_**Who is this, Spock? **_she was stunned by the sheer volume of sadness, self-loathing, and pain.

_**This is Doctor McCoy. **_ Spock's voice was calm in her ear as she saw memories of long nights spent drinking away the hours, sitting alone on the floating-dock, staring out across the water with only a bottle of Jack Daniel's for company. The pain of hearing the neighborhood parties and staying away because he wasn't welcome. Watching from the other side of the hedgerow and wishing he had the guts to go over and say he was sorry, to win her back once and for all. The pain of coming to work every day and seeing her, and knowing he couldn't have her anymore. Arguments with his father, loud, nasty arguments. David McCoy telling his son to grow up, move on. Leonard refusing to let her go because he thought if there was _any _chance left with her, it would disappear if she was allowed to leave Savannah Central Hospital. Letters and songs written just for her but never presented or mailed. Having seen enough, Esmeralda broke away and looked at Spock.

"I did that to him?"

"All he wants is a second chance. He acknowledges that his ex-wife damaged him, but he doesn't want to lose you when he has so very little _left_."

"Oh my god. Why did he freak out like that?"

"You have not spoken for a month, and he overheard you say you wanted nothing to do with him, you would rather fly into a black-hole than go back to him."

"But I never said that about him!" Esmeralda was stunned. She had _never _said anything like that about Leonard, ever!

"The question is, who _did _you say those things about if not Leonard McCoy?"

"When did I say that?" She tried to remember those precise words. Only one incident came to mind and she was glad to be sitting down, "Oh my god! Spock! Look into _my _memories! You have to understand, I never said that about Leonard, that was for my ex-boyfriend in Chicago!" Spock, willing to hear both sides of the story, did as she asked. She remembered the incident leading up to those words, which had led to the breakdown, which had led her to this locked exam-room with Spock. Jarred had come to town and taken her out to dinner as a surprise. She had been sufficiently surprised and incapable of refusing him. The evening had been lovely, until Jarred had tried to force himself upon her. Word had gotten out that her ex was in town, and oiling under her hand for a second chance at glory, and she had been informing Erica and a handful of nurses that there was no way in the seven hells of Romulus or Vulcan's Forge she would _ever _take Jarred back, no matter how much pretty begging he did. Spock was stunned at Jarred's gall to come after her, and pleased that she had rejected him so violently. He looked at her, eyes intent.

"Go to him, Esmeralda, he needs you now."

"He wants nothing to _do _with me, Spock!" She put her head in both hands, "How can I win him back?"

"You don't have to do anything except say you're sorry, everything else will fall into place." Spock kissed her on the forehead, "I detest melding with someone against their will or when they cannot consent, but it was necessary in this case."

"Thank you, Spock." Esmeralda slipped from the bed and hugged him. Spock let her out of the room and showed her where to find Leonard. That room was empty, so she asked Mariah if _she _had seen Leonard. He was on Pediatrics with a hang-over headache and a sore neck. That was about it, though.

"Are _you _okay?"

"I think so. How close did I come to royally screwing everything up?"

"Pretty damned close. You do know why Chief didn't take your resignation, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for not hating my guts, Mariah." Esmeralda rubbed her face with both hands, "I hate myself."

"We're all Human, nobody's perfect, and _he _started it. If it's any consolation, Len hates himself." Mariah hugged her and she went in search of Leonard. He _looked _awful when she found him leaning over a nursing-station desk, and she knew why. He hadn't slept in a month, working himself to the bone and drinking away the rest. It was a low-scale repeat of the post-Jocelyn fiasco. Esmeralda snuck up behind him as he rubbed the back of his neck, probably where Spock had nailed him a quick nerve pinch to take him down easy and quiet. Unable to help herself, Esmeralda indulged in a touch she half expected him to reject. He stiffened and she buried her face in the back of her neck.

"Please, _please_ don't push me away." She whispered, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Leonard McCoy, sporting a bizarre hang-over headache and a sore neck, tried to focus on work but his thoughts kept turning to Esmeralda Shirin and varied harebrained plans to win her back. He had the feeling that if he did it _just _right, she was his for taking. And since he didn't see _her _making any first moves real soon, it would have to be his first move. Careful planning and deliberate care would be taken, he couldn't afford to lose her because he fucked up a second chance he didn't deserve. Something had knocked him out real good for about fifteen minutes, he wondered if somebody'd hit him with some sedative in a stronger dose than strictly necessary. Trying to focus, failing at that, and planning his next move on Esmeralda were all cut short when somebody came up behind him. Maybe his sense of smell was failing him, but he caught a whiff of Esmeralda's perfume. It was light and barely-there, the scent of lavender and myrrh. He'd found an old tee-shirt of Esmeralda's the other day cleaning his bedroom, and spent hours sobbing into the soft material that smelled like her. She had spent so much time at his place before the fight that it had taken weeks of repeated washing to get the smell of her out of the sheets, out of _his _clothes. It was pathetic that he didn't just burn the whole lot of it. Whoever was behind him touched, and he almost jumped out of his own skin.

"Please, _please_ don't push me away." She begged, "I'm so sorry!" Push her away? Hell, the only reason he'd push her away was to make room for him to turn around! He could do that without pushing her away. It was just his luck there weren't any patients around. Esmeralda wasn't letting go, almost as if afraid letting go would cause him to vanish in a puff of dust. After a month of avoiding each other and ignoring each other, they'd come to _this_? Begging like dogs? Something tightened in his chest, making it hard to catch his breath, in response Esmeralda's arms tightened. Leonard grabbed her by the hand and turned around to face her. She looked awful, which made two of them, and when she raised her head, she was crying.

"That wasn't you, Lon! I swear it wasn't you!"

"What wasn't me?"

"You heard me talking to Erica, I wasn't talking about you!" she was begging him to understand something, he remembered overhearing _that _too well. But before he freaked out again and did something he'd never forgive himself for, he knew they had to talk about this. He pushed her back until she had to let go of him, put both hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye.

"Esmeralda, we need to talk about this. About _us_. We can't get anything done in the hospital. Meet me back at your place, we'll talk there."

"_Is_ there an us, Lon?"

"I sure hope there is. Let's go home." He put one arm around her and they left the hospital without a word to anyone else. Splitting up to drive home, Leonard watched her go off first and took a minute to get his head on straight.

"Doctor McCoy?" the sound of his name made him jump.

"Huh?" He turned sharply and froze when he saw the man behind him in Starfleet blue. Science and Medical division, two stripes marking him a commander. He was Vulcan. Leonard knew who this was, having never seen or met the man before in his life, and clenched his jaw, "Boy do _you _have a lot of nerve hanging around here! What are you still doing here?"

"Watching. I should have intervened sooner, I should have known better than to think Esmeralda would come to her senses on her own." The Vulcan shook his head sadly, "I apologize for being the cause of so much trouble between you and Doctor Shirin. At one point in our lives, she was everything important to me. Letting her go was very difficult for me, but she had no desire to stay in Starfleet and I could not convince her to stay for my own sake."

"Did you _say _something to her just now? Why the hell is she suddenly begging for a second chance?"

"Yes, I have spoken to Doctor Shirin. I also apologize if you still have a headache."

"What did you have to do with _that_?" Yes he had a headache, if that was anyone's business, "It's like I've got a hangover and my hangover's hangover got a headache. What'd you do to me?"

"I saved your career, Doctor McCoy. I've seen officers dishonorably discharged for far less than the scene you caused earlier. Had you caused violence or further distress, you would have lost your license, at the very least they would have committed you for madness."

"Did I really freak out _that _badly?" He didn't quite remember the initial freak-out, he was surprised they hadn't kicked him out the minute he showed himself.

"Yes, Doctor, you _did_…"freak out" that badly."

"I'm surprised they let me stay as long as they did."

"Go home, Doctor Shirin needs you to reassure her that there is still a chance to be happy with you. I will return to San Francisco promptly, and you will never see me again. I ask only one thing."

"You're asking me a _favor_?" Gutsy Vulcan.

"If you have any sincere feelings for Doctor Shirin, and I know you do, please do not hesitate to act upon them. When her heart was broken by Doctor Tyson in Chicago, I feared for her health. The transfer to your hospital was the best possible thing that could have happened to her, and I was happy for her because _she _was finally happy. When I found her that night, she was devastated."

"Why didn't you just take her back to San Francisco?"

"Because it was not the right thing to do. I had to keep her here to give you both a chance to learn what I knew already."

"Which would be…_what_?"

"Do you love her?"

"Enough to get down on my knees and beg if I have to."

"And she loves _you _enough to take you back if you just ask her."

"I was kinda hoping that was the case." Leonard unlocked his car and opened the door, "Hey, Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"You are welcome. Oh, Doctor McCoy?"

"Hmm?"

"Those words were about Doctor Tyson."

"Jarred?" that got his attention. Spock nodded, his eyes dark.

"He was in town just lately and tried to entice Doctor Shirin to come back to him, but she refused him. The man she spoke of when you overheard her saying she would rather fly into a black hole, it was Doctor Tyson, not yourself."

"Wait a minute, Jarred Tyson came down here to Savannah…trying to win back Esmeralda? You have _got _to be kidding me!" He was furious, but not with Esmeralda, or even with Spock.

"You may find that to be quite useful, Doctor McCoy." Spock just held something out to him, "Normally I avoid violence and interfering with the personal affairs of others, but as this particular affair closely involves Doctor Shirin, and she is quite dear to me, I think I can be forgiven." Leonard looked at the card, on it was an address for a hotel in town. Room number and everything. He narrowed his eyes.

"This is where Jarred's staying?"

"I am there as well, that is how I know his lodgings." Spock shrugged, but Leonard had an idea.

"Hang on a minute there, Commander." He dug out his personal comm and called Esmeralda. She was surprised to hear from him, he should have been home by now. He looked at Spock, "I will be, sweetheart. I just have some…unfinished business before I come home. I won't be long, I promise. Just something to do before I settle down for the day."

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Lon."

"I promise I won't, darlin'. You just sit tight, I'll be home in an hour." He hung up and looked at Spock, "You have as much reason to hate Doctor Tyson, you feel like coming along?"

"As I said, I abhor violence, but Doctor Tyson deserves nothing from me but contempt."

"Get in." He got into the car and unlocked the passenger's side door. Spock got in and buckled his seatbelt, and they drove from the hospital to the Savannah Marriott Towers. Jarred Tyson was in the hotel bar, a rather ritzy place, chatting up an attractive blonde who had the gall to laugh at Jarred's awful pick-ups and lewd jokes.

"There he is."

"Yeah, I see him." He clenched one hand into a fist, "Come on, let's get this done, there's one more stop I've gotta make before I head home to Esmeralda." Spock trailed along as he closed in on Jarred. He grabbed the man by the shoulder and when Jarred turned to tell _him _off, he just did the one thing he'd wanted to do for a really long time, ever since Esmeralda showed up in town with her heart broken. Jarred reeled and crashed to the floor of the bar, stunned. Leonard stood over him, rightfully furious, "You come anywhere near my fianceé again, Tyson, and next time I'll break more than just your _nose_."

"Jesus Christ, McCoy! Have you lost your fucking _mind_?" Jarred yelled, staggering to his feet, one hand bloodied from holding his broken nose. Leonard just hit him again.

"No, you jackass. I'm wondering if you've lost _yours_, and thanking my lucky stars Esmeralda Shirin had the good sense to kick you to the curb when you tried to win her back. Do that again and you're a dead man." He looked at the blonde and jerked his head, "Get your boyfriend cleaned up and then get out of town. If you're not gone by sundown, you'll be sorry."

"You can't force me to leave!"

"Oh really? My neighbor's chief of police, you ass, you tell me if I can't force you to leave." He turned his back on Jarred, "You have until sundown." As he walked away, Leonard was startled by a yell and spun around. Jarred had lost it and lunged for him, something in his right hand, but Leonard jumped backwards. Spock got between the two of them and Jarred's yell turned from one of fury to one of agonizing pain. Leonard clearly heard something snap and winced. They waited five minutes for Thomas to show up, someone had called the police, and Thomas promised to take Jarred straight back to Central to get patched up. Erica and the girls would take good care of him. Leonard snickered, "Tell Erica I send my love."

"Where are you off to, then?" Thomas asked as they carted Jarred out of the bar.

"I've got one more stop to make before I go home. Esmeralda's waitin', probably thinks I've done something stupid."

"Like get into a fight with her ex? Well," Thomas looked over Leonard's shoulder at Spock, "one of them anyway. Who's this?"

"Captain Stengler, this is Commander Spock. He's an associate of Esmeralda's."

"The Starfleet boyfriend. I heard you were around town, Commander. It's a pleasure to meet you." Thomas didn't offer to shake hands, but he made it clear he approved of _this _ex-boyfriend at least. Spock reassured them he wouldn't be around much longer, he had obligations in San Francisco that had been ignored far too long as it was. His transport left in an hour, Thomas offered him a ride to the hub and so Leonard shook hands and parted ways with the only ex-boyfriend he _didn't _mind. Before heading off, Leonard called his parents' house. His mom picked up on the second ring, she knew it was him.

"Len, what's going on?"

"Dad called you, didn't he?"

"I didn't want to believe him!"

"I talked to Esmeralda, things are okay now." He smiled and looked over his shoulder, "It turns out it wasn't even me she was bitching about."

"Who, then?"

"Remember Jarred Tyson?"

"Not one bit fondly." He heard the long pause, "Len?"

"Yeah, Moma?"

"Did Jarred come back for Esmeralda?"

"She told him she wasn't interested. I made sure he knew he wasn't welcome in town. I need a favor."

"Besides deporting him to Rura Penthe?"

"Yes, besides that." Leonard chuckled, then sobered, "Moma, do you still have the rings Daddy gave you?" The ones she didn't wear anymore because she wanted them to go to the perfect girl for her little boy. His parents had two sets of rings, the ones they'd worn on their wedding day and the rings they'd bought for renewing their vows a few years back. He knew his mom's rings would fit Esmeralda, they'd tried them on a few months ago for fun, and to see what size she wore for future reference. This time the silence was even longer.

"Len, honey, you come right home! You come right home, you hear?" his mom was sobbing. Oh _great_. Leonard promised to come home for the rings and set off in that direction. His mom met him at the door, she was pretty much hysterical. He had to reassure her that he meant it this time, that he really was going to ask Esmeralda and make things right with her. She gave him the rings and he went home. He went to Esmeralda's house first, letting himself in with the spare key he'd kept even when things got rough.

"Esmeralda?" he called as he closed the door behind him, "You home, babe?" He checked all the rooms, and went out back. Full of kids, per usual, no sign of Esmeralda.

"Hey, Doctor McCoy!" Jim called from poolside. He shared a lounger with Rory Spencer, the two of them cuddled like the silly, love-struck kids they were. It made Leonard smile to see the two of them like that.

"You kids seen Esmeralda around here?"

"Yeah, she went to your place about fifteen minutes ago." Jim pointed to the hedgerow, "Somethin' happen at work?"

"I've got somethin' needs sayin', kid." He sighed and ducked through the hedgerow into his own backyard. What he saw there made him stop dead in his tracks. Esmeralda stood under a lilac tree, he'd never seen her like _this _before except maybe in daring dreams. She wore a tea-length dress of white lace with a light pink satin sash, no shoes, her hair up in a messy half-formal up-do. Oh she was good. Esmeralda was waiting for him to come home, alright. So much for talking it over, she already knew what she wanted. Leonard looked over his shoulder as he stepped from the hedgerow onto his lawn. The chances Jim had any idea _this _was waiting on his side of the fence were small, Esmeralda wouldn't have said anything when she came over. Leonard crossed from the break to the tree, momentarily forgetting the rings in his pocket as he tried to convince himself this was for real.

"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" she whispered when he hugged her.

"I think we're both sorry." He just held her and hoped this was for real.

"I'm sorry and grateful."

"For what?"

"I'm sorry for being so horrible to you, and grateful that you made peace with Spock." She leaned back and smiled, it was the bright, wonderful smile he had missed while they weren't on speaking terms, "And, uh, thanks for showing Jarred he wasn't welcome."

"Who tattled?"

"Erica called me to say Thomas had dragged Jarred in looking like somebody'd hit him with a two-by-four."

"I am _not _sorry about that, I've waited a long damn time to do that to Tyson." Leonard couldn't help smiling, "It felt real good."

"I suppose I should be grateful you were the only one who took a swing at him. If Spock had done anything, it would have been a lot worse."

"He doesn't strike me as a physically violent person, except where you're concerned." Leonard smirked and leaned in to steal a kiss, "He seems willing to share." Remembering the rings in his pocket, he had an idea. He sent Esmeralda inside for a minute and called the hospital. As soon as he got hold of David, he looked to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping, "David."

"You'd better be at home, brother."

"Oh, I'm home. We won't be here long, though. I need you to do me a favor."

"Sure. How's Esmeralda?"

"She's…smiling. I missed that, man."

"We all did. So, what can I do for you?"

"Can you get Mariah and meet me at the Courthouse in fifteen minutes?"

"Sure! Want me to round up your dad, too?"

"Yeah, I have to call Moma and tell _her_."

"Not a problem, we'll meet you there!"

"Thanks, David, you're a saint." He hung up and went to the hedgerow, "Hey, Jim!"

"What's up?" Jim trotted over, hoping things were okay now.

"Get Rory, we're going to the Courthouse." He just smiled. Jim's eyes widened and he ran to get Rory while Leonard went back to the house. Esmeralda waited inside, she lay on the couch, just resting after an entirely crazy day.

"Esmeralda?"

"Where are we going?" she knew something was up. Leonard smiled and held out one hand to her.

"I want to do this right, I'm taking you to the Courthouse today. Moma gave me her old rings and everything."

"We're getting married?"

"If that's what you want."

"Yes, Lon! Yes, that's what I want!" she erupted from the couch and almost knocked him backwards with a hug. They called his mom and picked up Jim and Rory before heading for the Courthouse, where they met David, Mariah, and his dad. They paid the ten-credit fee, and for the second time in his life, Leonard gave his heart away to someone else. This time, he _knew _it would work. His mom, of course was hysterical, not that anyone was really too surprised by that. She adored Esmeralda, the break-up had been hard on her, but things were okay now and things _would _be okay for a long time.

**_

* * *

Did that satisfy, my loyal reader? To answer a few questions posed in earlier reviews: Jim came to town for an obligatory visit with his step-family, not his first idea of fun. A scuffle with a "cousin" resulting from a slight to the good Kirk name landed him in the hospital, where he met up with Bones and Esmeralda. Spock, unbeknownst to anyone, came to town looking for Esmeralda to make sure she was settling in alright in her new home. That's why he was in the hospital with Bones freaked out, that's why he was essentially the one to pick up those pieces and nudge our reluctant lovers in the right direction. And since Bones and Esmeralda pretty much just tied the knot, call it marital bliss for the happy couple. And I think it's safe to say they are a _very _happy couple indeed. Cheers!_**


End file.
